Turn new message alert pop up on or off

A Desktop Alert is a notification that appears on your desktop when you receive a new email message, a meeting request, or a task request. By default, Desktop Alerts are turned on.

The information displayed in a Desktop Alert varies depending on the item that you receive in your Inbox.

• Email message   
  Displays the name of the sender, the subject, and the first two lines of the message. A Desktop Alert doesn't display the contents of an encrypted or digitally signed message. To view the message, you must open it. 

• Meeting request   
  Displays the sender, subject, date, time, and location of the meeting. 

• Task request   
  Displays the sender, subject, and start date of the assigned task. 

Watch a 1:54 minute video about pop-up alerts (notifications)

Turn alerts on or off

Tip: If you want to keep a Desktop Alert visible so that you can take more time to read it, rest the pointer over the alert before it fades from view.

1. Select File > Options > Mail.

2. Under Message arrival, select or clear the Display a Desktop Alert check box and then select OK.

   Note: To suppress or enable other notifications such as sounds, mouse pointer changes, or displaying an envelope icon in the taskbar, check or clear the respective check boxes for those functions.

When Desktop Alerts don't appear

Desktop Alert notifications don't appear during the initial synchronization of an email account or when you request a manual Send/Receive.

Also, if you're using message rules and a new message is moved out of the default account Inbox, you might not receive a Desktop Alert notification,.